The England cricket team has arrived in Chennai amid unprecedented security levels ahead of the two-Test series against India which starts on Thursday. They landed on Monday evening and were immediately whisked away to their coach by scores of heavily armed guards.
During their time in Chennai, they will be protected by more than 5,000 security guards drawn from India’s police force and commando units. England flew home from India after the 26 November terror attacks in Mumbai.
BBC Sport’s Joe Wilson, reporting from Chennai, said: “Hundreds of locals were here to see England’s players as they arrived.”But they were kept away from the players by dozens of commandos in their green uniforms as an obvious show of strength by India.” Continue Reading

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice secured a pledge from Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari that he will take “strong action” against elements in his country that were involved in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. President Zardari’s office said he made the pledge during talks with Ms. Rice in Islamabad on Thursday.

“I found the Pakistani leadership very focused and committed,” she told reporters after talks with President Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and senior army officials.

A presidential statement said Zardari also repeated a promise to help investigate the attacks and said Pakistan was determined to ensure its territory is not used for any act of terrorism.
On the flight from New Delhi to Islamabad, Rice told reporters Pakistan has to determine how it is going to respond to last week’s attacks in the Mumbai.

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A full-strength England squad leaves for Abu Dhabi on Thursday with the cricket board giving its go ahead for the two-match Test series against India which was on the verge of being cancelled following the Mumbai terror attacks.

“After spending the last 72 hours consulting security advisers and Government agencies at the highest level, the England and Wales Cricket Board has determined that England will leave for Abu Dhabi tomorrow (Thursday) to resume their two Test tour of India,” the ECB said in a statement.

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Pakistan President Asaf Ali Zardari appearing on CNN’s Larry King Live on Tuesday night for an interview reassured India and the world that he and his civilian government was not part or privy to the terror attack on Mumbai, and they wanted peace with India. He insisted the terror attack was the work of “stateless actors who are holding hostage the whole world.”

“So we should all rise above it. I expect the Indian democracy which is senior, which is an older democracy, mature democracy, I expect them to rise above this pain and the loss that they have had and come together with us to fight terrorism in the region,” Zardari said. Continue Reading